Framework of a Neuroergonomic Assessment in Human-Robot Collaboration (original) (raw)
Related papers
Machines
The disruptive deployment of collaborative robots, named cobots, in Industry 5.0 has brought attention to the safety and ergonomic aspects of industrial human–robot interaction (HRI) tasks. In particular, the study of the operator’s mental workload in HRI activities has been the research object of a new branch of ergonomics, called neuroergonomics, to improve the operator’s wellbeing and the efficiency of the system. This study shows the development of a combinative assessment for the evaluation of mental workload in a comparative analysis of two assembly task scenarios, without and with robot interaction. The evaluation of mental workload is achieved through a combination of subjective (NASA TLX) and real-time objective measurements. This latter measurement is found using an innovative electroencephalogram (EEG) device and the characterization of the cognitive workload through the brainwave power ratio β/α, defined after the pre-processing phase of EEG data. Finally, observational ...
User Experience and Physiological Response in Human-Robot Collaboration: A Preliminary Investigation
Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems
Within the context of Industry 4.0 and of the new emerging Industry 5.0, human factors are becoming increasingly important, especially in Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC). This paper provides a novel study focused on the human aspects involved in industrial HRC by exploring the effects of various HRC setting factors. In particular, this paper aims at investigating the impact of industrial HRC on user experience, affective state, and stress, assessed through both subjective measures (i.e., questionnaires) and objective ones (i.e., physiological signals). A collaborative assembly task was implemented with different configurations, in which the robot movement speed, the distance between the operator and the robot workspace, and the control of the task execution time were varied. Forty-two participants were involved in the study and provided feedbacks on interaction quality and their affective state. Participants’ physiological responses (i.e., electrodermal activity and heart rate) were...
Frontiers in Neurorobotics
The industry increasingly insists on academic cooperation to solve the identified problems such as workers' performance, wellbeing, job satisfaction, and injuries. It causes an unsafe and unpleasant working environment that directly impacts the quality of the product, workers' productivity, and effectiveness. This study aimed to give a specialized solution for tests and explore possible solutions to the given problem in neuroergonomics and human–robot interaction. The designed modular and adaptive laboratory model of the industrial assembly workstation represents the laboratory infrastructure for conducting advanced research in the field of ergonomics, neuroergonomics, and human–robot interaction. It meets the operator's anatomical, anthropometric, physiological, and biomechanical characteristics. Comparing standard, ergonomic, guided, and collaborative work will be possible based on workstation construction and integrated elements. These possibilities allow the industry...
IISE Transactions on Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors
Occupational applications Since cobots (collaborative robots) are increasingly being introduced in industrial environments, being aware of their potential positive and negative impacts on human collaborators is essential. This study guides occupational health workers by identifying the potential gains (reduced perceived time demand, number of gestures and number of errors) and concerns (the cobot takes a long time to perceive its environment, which leads to an increased completion time) associated with working with cobots. In our study, the collaboration between human and cobot during an assembly task did not negatively impact perceived cognitive load, increased completion time (but decreased perceived time demand), and decreased the number of gestures performed by participants and the number of errors made. Thus, performing the task in collaboration with a cobot improved the user's experience and performance, except for completion time, which increased. This study opens up avenues to investigate how to improve cobots to ensure the usability of the human-machine system at work.
Prevention of Occupational Risks Related to the Human-Robot Collaboration
IHIET 2020, 2021
Industrial robotics called “collaborative” makes operator share his workspace with a robot or even perform tasks simultaneously with it. Human-robot co-activity situations as all new technologies, modify the operator’s work and raise health and safety issues at work. To prevent occupational accidents and diseases but also to better understand Human-Robot Collaboration in the workplace, a study based on an ergonomics approach was conducted in a food company. Preliminary results show that handling tasks decrease while supervisory tasks increase, Operators have therefore more interest in their activity and feel valued. They think that collaborative robot integration improves their work conditions. However, mechanical moving parts (arms, tools, handled parts) of these cobots have sometimes hit operators. This study tries to work out ways to improve this collaboration in terms of health and safety.
Human factors in cobot era: a review of modern production systems features
Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing
Collaborative robots are increasingly common in modern production systems, since they allow to merge the productivity of automated systems with the flexibility and dexterity of manual ones. The direct interaction between the human and the robot can be the greatest advantage and the greatest limit of collaborative systems at the same time, depending on how it affects human factors like ergonomics and mental stress. This work presents an overview of collaborative robotics considering three main dimensions: robot features, modern production systems characteristics and human factors. A literature review on how such dimensions interact is addressed and a discussion on the current state of the art is presented, showing the topics that have been already widely explored and the research gaps that should be fulfilled in the future.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
Implementing Industry 4.0 and interconnected robotization in industrial enterprises drifts towards occupational changes. Nowadays, the task is to create cooperation and collaboration between a robot and a human in a common robotized workplace so that it is safe and effective. The type of robot, the robotic device that works in collaboration with a human operator, is called a cobot. In the case of a closer interaction of the robot or cobot with humans, it is necessary to consider where it is possible to replace human work entirely or where it is possible to merely supplement it. The most socially acceptable option is the implementation of robots only for the performance of supplementary tasks, since the traditional work positions of people in manufacturing processes would remain largely preserved. On the other hand, workplace robotization is particularly suitable for work environments with hazardous chemical substances that are carcinogenic and toxic to humans. Similarly, robotizatio...
Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) represents an innovative solution able to enhance quality and adaptability of production processes. In a collaborative process, man and robot cooperate symbiotically. However, to fully exploit the benefits of HRC, human factors must be taken into account. A novel experimental setting involving a repetitive assembly process is presented to investigate the effects of prolonged HRC on user experience and performance. Each participant was involved in two 4-hours shifts: a manual assembly setting and a HRC assembly setting. The response variables collected in the study include the perceived workload, self-reported affective state, perceived body discomfort, physiological indicators of stress (heart rate variability and electrodermal activity), and process defectiveness. The experimental results showed reduced mental effort and fewer process defects in the HRC setting, highlighting how collaborative robotics can also support humans from a cognitive point of...